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Things to smile about this week:

1. All your awesome comments on the launch of Happy Circus. Thank you so much. They all mean a bundle and have really encouraged me this week.

2. Selling my first item on Etsy to a lovely lady in the UK. A pompom garland is off to its new home and I really hope that she’s happy with her little purchase. B decided a week ago that they would be my best seller. Clever boy.

3. Meeting up with my awesome pals Anna, on Friday, and Lizzie, on Saturday. You know it’s a true friendship when you can meet up after months and chat like you only saw each other yesterday.

4. Wrapping up warm for a family walk along the canal, with the kiddos feeding the ducks and us eating Cadbury’s Crème Eggs.

5. Random conversations with B that turn into mega discussions with insanely cool outcomes. Husband dearest, you totally rock.

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Today is an exciting day. Today I launch my little business, Happy Circus.

So please pop along to Etsy and check out my hand knitted treats. After all, you can never have too many pompoms or bows in your life.

Over the next few months I’ll be adding more for the grown-ups, as well as some new colour choices too and for the next two weeks I’ll be offering all you lovely people a super duper 15% discount. Just “message the seller” and let me know that you’re a reader of my blog.

I’d love to hear what you think and hope you find something you like. Thank you for all your support in getting to this point. I’m really excited about where this little venture might take me.

Happy shopping at Happy Circus xx

ps. Black Swan is most definitely worth a watch. This film is thrilling and tense and completely exhausting but really very fantastic. A Darren Aronofsky classic. And Natalie Portman totally deserves all the praise she's getting right now.

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Things to smile about this week:

1. Having the most awesome girly afternoon yesterday with my best friend and her beautiful baby. We had lunch, we went shopping and we chit-chatted for hours. I love those gorgeous girls so much. (Too much fun baby-cuddling meant I didn’t even take my camera out of my bag.)

2. Recent cinema expeditions. The King’s Speech on Tuesday with my Mum and sister (review: so good and surprisingly funny) and Black Swan tomorrow with my sister. We’re so excited about this film, and the oh-so-pretty Rodarte tutus.

3. Carrying on the cinema theme, there’s only 20 days until the UK release of True Grit. We LOVE the Coen Brothers in our house and we firmly believe Jeff Bridges is a genius. Plus B does love a good western.

4. My brilliant Dad being nominated for Outstanding Costume Design for a Mini Series or TV Movie at the Costume Designers Guild Awards in LA for his work on The Pacific. Last year Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep presented the award. Eeek. I’ve made him promise that if he ever gets an Oscar nomination, I’ll be walking down that red carpet with him. Go Papa, you rock!

5. And finally, some pretty exciting news. I’ve been a very busy bee and on Sunday I’ll be launching my little business. So, make sure you come back and check it out then. I’m really hyped about it, but kinda nervous too so I can’t wait to hear what you think.

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A pop of colour for what have been a few rather grey days.
* some colourful bowls in the kitchen
* a bright little basket that hangs in the bathroom, housing some random bits and bobs
* the threads I'm using in the sampler I'm making (check that off the 10 for 2011 list!)
* these eggcups ensure breakfast has never been so happy

Over the last week I’ve been focusing on the colour in my life. When there are so many people around the world clouded by the darkness of grief and destruction it’s time to reflect on how lucky I am in so many ways. From the things we take for granted, like shelter and warmth, food and water, to how blessed I am to feel love everyday from and for my friends, family and most importantly, that boy of mine. Who fills my life with sunshine no matter how dark it is outside.

It’s so easy to be consumed by the small things sometimes and this week, this year, I’m striving to let them slide. To cherish what I have and not be so bothered by the things I want or think I need.

So here’s to the fighters out there, those who have been lost and the heroes that are emerging everyday through the tragedy. You’re in our thoughts. xx

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Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post. It’s good to know I’m not alone in feeling this way and really appreciate what a lucky blogger I am to have such awesome readers.

Yesterday B and I were talking about this subject and thanks to him, my genius buddy, and all you gals I’m feeling much better. You know what? I have the coolest husband, a beautiful best friend and a sister who totally rocks. I’m a lucky girl. And I’m keeping the belief that new friends are on the horizon, waiting for me to find them.

And what’s so bad about pen pals anyway? Friends who live miles away are still just as beautiful via a letter or email and are always there when you need a chat. So here’s a shout out to all my pals around the world; school friends, random friends and blogger friends.

These are some brilliant charity shop finds I scored today. A blue and white stripey vintage duvet set with pillowcases and a pair of amazing 1970s 10ft long curtains. There has to be at least 6 metres of fabrics in these babies. And while it kind of feels sacrilegious cutting them up, I'm imagining a few cushions and a quilt backing. And this little haul? £6 in total.

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Friendship. It’s pretty rare to find the real deal. I am lucky enough to be married to my best buddy, have my favourite girlfriend in the world, Em, in the next town and my awesome sister just around the corner. My other lovely friends all live hours away. No impromptu lunches or Saturday morning shopping for us. And I miss that. Recently I’ve been feeling a bit blue about my friend status.

So how, when you’re 26, do you meet new friends? People you can connect to, have something in common with, share life’s adventures? Last year I enrolled in a sewing class at my local college in the hope of meeting a few fellow creative people. No such luck. At work I have a laugh with lots of funny ladies, but no-one I would ever meet outside working hours.

I’ve met some awesome gals thanks to this little blog. People I really think I could be good friends with. And often I feel a teeny pang of jealousy when I see some of you getting together, meeting for coffee. That’s what the New Year can do. It can make you think about what you’d like to change in your life, make more of an effort with or maybe what you’re missing.

Last night B and I watched I Love You, Man. It was pretty funny and followed the premise of a 30 something guy who realises he had no real friends when he was faced with the problem of choosing his best man. So he sets about finding some. Ok, so it was all done in a very movie-land way, but it got me thinking.

A couple of years ago I cut a few “friends” out of my life. Ever done that? Man, it’s hard. These were girls who I’d hung around with since senior school but as we all changed and moved on the realisation of how I shared nothing with these girls dawned on me. In fact, in many ways, these were the type of people I now avoid. And so I didn’t invite them to our wedding. That’ll do it for you. Sever the ties. And you know what? I feel so much better for it. Now my friends are all super duper people. Ones I love spending time with. But I just wish one of them lived in my town.

I think the best blogs are those that are honest and share their feelings. And this topic is one I’ve been thinking about a lot of the last few days. Still. I’m sorry if this post has bummed you out. It kinda has me.

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Today my sister turned 25 and we just had a little party for her, complete with fajitas and cake. Brilliant. This picture is us when we were aged about 5 and 3. Check out my mullet.

Happy birthday beautiful Dora. You are the craziest girl I’ve ever met and I love you for it. You’re one of my bestest buds and always will be. Fun times always follow you and you always make me laugh.

Example?

Recent text from Dora: “On the way home on the train. Just farted. Listening to music though so not sure if it was loud and anyone heard. Oh dear.”

We love you! xx

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I’m back. Back to work, back to blogging and trying to get back into a bit of a routine after ten days of 2am bedtimes, lie-ins until 11am and trips a-plenty visiting family and friends.

It was such an awesome Christmas break, starting with the arrival of my new camera. I love this camera. Love. It was such a manic Christmas I hardly got any time to figure out the settings, but even on auto it takes some wicked pictures.

Christmas Day involved some amazing presents and the yummiest of dinners, which B cooked using the vintage Le-Creuset pans and this heavy 1970s pot I found him for Christmas. There were 9 of us for lunch and more food than you can imagine.

B gave me these awesome yellow Converse and this fab necklace from one of my favourite Etsy sellers

The two little love birds my sister drew for me

My second pair of brogues. These are from my brilliant Mum.

In the afternoon we visited the rest of my family and spent a few hours being silly, playing board games and eating chocolates at my Grandparent’s house.

We also caught up with some teeny folk. And I worked out how to use the monochrome setting on my camera.

Beautiful Amelia

Sleepy Austin

So, here’s to the New Year. I wonder what it’ll bring…